


The monster within part 2: a king and his kitten

by Ashc



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Genre: F/M, Old Relationship, Vampire Bruce, Vampires, brief issues, bruce gets angry but keeps it in check, t’challa getting in bruce’s Face
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 13:51:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17509805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashc/pseuds/Ashc





	The monster within part 2: a king and his kitten

 

 

 

 

Zena tells Bruce about her brief but passionate affair with a certain king

 

this is a part two for The Monster Within but they can also be read separately 

 

 

 

zithandwa zam = my beloved in Xhosa

 

 

 

Bruce was cleaning up the clutter in the lab when he found it. A little black locket with a silver cats paw print in the center. His curiosity got the better of him and he flicked the locket open. He was surprised when in the locket there was an engraftment on one side and a picture in the other. The engraving read zithandwa zam and in the picture was Zena, his Zena with her arms around T’challa and her lips on his. The scientist paused and blinked looking both shocked and downtrodden.

 

 

 

Zena had never told him she had been in a relationship with T’challa. The king had brought her with him when he had decided to visit the avengers, bringing Bucky with them after he had been healed by Zena and Shuri. He had noticed the two were close but he never imagined they had been in a relationship. He thought the friendship between Shuri and Zena  only meant that Zena  had inevitably made friends with the king as well. He suddenly found himself worried. How could he, a forty-nine year old vampire with an anger issue possibly be better than a king? He sighed heavily and set the locket down, he decided he’d speak to Zena about this. He shouldn’t let his low self esteem get the better of him. She told him she loved him, T’Challa was  back in  Wakanda by now but he was sure if Zena still held feelings for her king she would tell Bruce.

 

 

 

Just then the lab doors opened, Bruce smiled a little and lifted his head knowing it was likely Zena returning from getting them coffee. What he saw make him more worried than he ever remembered being. It was the King, one arm wrapped around Zena’s shoulders. And the two were laughing looking carefree and happy.

 

 

 

“Bruce, look who decided to visit.” Bruce forced a smile and bowed to the king, T’challa seemed a little surprised at the motion then shook his head and offered a smile.

 

 

 

“You don’t have to do that. We have different ways of showing respect to royalty.” Bruce fumbled with his words for a moment then looked up helplessly at Zena. The female scientist smiled and crosses her arms over her chest in an X shape. Bruce smiled thankfully at her and stood up before he mimicked the movement. Granted he made the gesture a little more sassy than respectful but the king seemed to accept it anyway. Zena smiled adorably, at least in Bruce’s opinion.

 

 

 

“I left the coffee outside, I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for an answer from either man Zena left the lab.

 

 

 

As soon as Zena left T’Challa turned to glare at Bruce, the older man recoiled a little then frowned and stood up straighter.

 

 

 

“Is something wrong?” T’Challa narrowed his eyes and nearly spat.

 

 

 

“Zena has told me what you are, you’re an obayifo and I do not trust you around zithandwa zam Zena.” Bruce narrowed his eyes a little at the king and raises a brow in confusion.

 

 

 

“I don’t know what you said......but I get the sense you don’t approve of Zena and I.” T’Challa scoffed a little and crossed his arms. The look he sent Bruce would have made the older man’s blood run cold if he were a person with a weaker resolve.

 

 

 

“No, I do not, you’re a creature of darkness, a monster who feeds on blood. A man of the night.” With that sentence Bruce figured out what the king had meant earlier, Zena had obviously told him about Bruce being a vampire. He was a little surprised she had, he hadn’t thought she’d just be telling people about it, especially without asking his permission first.

 

 

 

“It’s  not really any  of your concern. But if you’re saying I’m a vampire then you’re right.” The king scoffed and narrowed his eyes, drawing himself up to his full height. Bruce wasn’t intimidated though, he simply raised a brow and crossed his arms. He had enough self doubt without someone else saying he didn’t deserve Zena.

 

 

 

“It is my concern, my duty as black panther and as king says I must protect my people, I must protect Wakanda. Zena and I may no longer be together but it is still my job to protect her. And protecting her means keeping her away from you.” Bruce took a step back like he had been physically pushed. T’Challa took advantage of the stumble and walked closer.

 

 

 

“You’ll kill her, either with Hulk or your blood thirst. She could be laying in bed one day and you decided to have a little taste. Then that little taste turns into five gallons of blood gone. You’d suck her dry then try to hide how she died.” Bruce scowled and shook his head, he hadn’t changed yet but an enraged growl from Hulk sounded in his mind.

 

 

 

“ I would never bite her without her asking me to, not even if I were starving and moments from death. Not unless she told me to. And I would never kill her. She is safer with me and Hulk than with just anyone. I wouldn’t let someone harm her and Hulk wouldn’t either. She’s important to us.” He wasn’t actually sure how Hulk felt about Zena, he still refused to change around her just in case. But the creature in his mind had never seemed angry at her. Never seemed to want to hurt her, and anytime she seemed like she might be hurt Hulk was ready and rearing to protect her, Bruce’s reactions were mostly the same. While he  was very sure  Zena was safest with he and Hulk the king wasn’t convinced.

 

 

 

“I do not believe she is safe with you. You’ll kill her as easily as you killed those others in wakanda” Bruce blinked in shock at T’Challa’s words, he had thought the king was a kind diplomatic sort. But this verbal beating was starting to change his mind. He had had just about enough from the king, while he was sure Zena could find someone better, he hated the idea. She made him happy, she made him whole, and who was T’Challa to try  and take that from  him?

 

 

 

It took him barely a moment to decide he wasn’t about to stand by passively while some other man threatened to take away what was most important to him. This vampiric change was the quickest to date, he wasn’t fighting it, wasn’t trying to slow it down or control it. It was fast, almost instantaneous. He was embracing this more dangerous side, the side that could kill or maim in seconds, the side that would keep Zena with him no matter what. Or, at  the very least . Track her if she was taken from him.

 

 

 

He bared his fangs at T’challa and released a low noise, halfway between a growl and a hiss, he smirked just a little when he saw the other man take a step backwards in surprise, the next moment he had already straightened and regained his composure but it was enough for Bruce.

 

 

 

“Don’t you dare threaten to take her from me, she makes me good, she reminds me of the type of person I wanted to be. She keeps me sane. You try to take her and Wakanda will lose another king.” The thinly veiled threat made T’Challa raise a brow, his eyes were searching when he looked Bruce over, taking in the crouched position and bared fangs. The king was tempted to compare the scientist to a wild cat. With a nod T’Challa seemed to give in.

 

 

 

“I can see she means a lot to you....and I know you mean the same to her, Shuri has been complaining about hearing so much about you. I worry about her...but it seems my worry is not needed. You will keep her safe I trust her to your care...” Bruce was a little shrouded, he blinked a few times expecting the king to put up more of a fight. He wasn’t disappointed that making the other man back off was so easy but he almost felt like it was a trap or trick of some kind. He  knew that it was  ridiculous but he couldn’t help his suspicions. With a small sigh the scientist nodded and straightened, he didn’t reign in his vampiric side but his stance was much calmer.

 

 

 

“There are other ways to test someone.” T’Challa nodded a little then shrugged.

 

 

 

“Everyone knows your condition demands incredible control. I did not know if I could properly aggravate you without poking at the most sensitive subject for you. I do apologize, Zena told me not to. She will not be pleased I did it anyway.” Bruce couldn’t help the small, smug looking smile that flashed across his face. He knew Zena was a remarkable woman and knowing that even a king and outstanding fighter was scared of her made him proud.

 

 

 

“Did what anyway T?” Bruce tried to hold in his laugh, or at least he’d say he tried. But the look on the king’s face when Zena made her presence known to the two men was frankly hilarious. The way he seemed to struggle for an answer to her question was just as amusing

 

 

 

“Nothing?” Zena raised a brow looking unconvinced. Bruce chuckled a little, at least until Zena turned her gaze to him. He immediately flattered, a shy smile taking over his expression.

 

 

 

“Bruce....you’ll tell me what he did right? Especially if what he did was what made your vampire side show...” Bruce coughed a little and scratched the back of his neck. He had forgotten his fangs were showing. He smiled sleepily and shrugged.

 

 

 

“He just annoyed me and I over reacted.....” Zena hummed softly. Clearly not believing her boyfriend.

 

 

 

“Well, if that’s all that happened... I  guess it’s okay” Bruce knew better than to let his guard too far down, he knew Zena and he knew she would wait until a good time to spring the question on him again. T’challa however was much calmer now. Apparently he hadn’t yet been a victim of Zena’s interrogation methods.

 

 

 

Zena hummed softly and walked over with the coffee she had managed to get, she placed the tray on the nearest bench then picked up her own and Bruce’s. She held it out for the man but when he went to take it she grinned playfully and pulled it away. Bruce smiles a bit and rolled his eyes playfully then tried to grab it again. They repeated this little ritual twice more before Zena gave him the coffee, along with a quick, but almost dirty kiss. From beside the two T’challa made a noise of annoyance and stalked from the lab. Zena giggled a little at his behaviour then slipped on her coffee.

 

 

 

“He gets rather sIlly sometimes, he takes it so seriously, I’m perfectly safe with you.....” Bruce seemed surprised by her for some reason when he looked over to glance at the other scientist she was grinning.

 

 

 

“Tony has security all over this place, it was surprisingly easy to hack the cameras to see what was happening. Did you think getting three coffees would take so long?.” Bruce smiled a little and shook his head, he should have known Zena knew of what was happening in the lab, she always knew. It was almost scary to Bruce, but he had never appreciated her scary resourcefulness as much as he did now.

 

 

 

“Thank you by the way Bruce....for not downplaying yourself when you stood up to him...you know how much you mean to me, and you should know I’ll always love you.” Bruce smiled more and kissed Zena’s cheek. Warmth building in him as he hugged Zena.

 

 

 

“I’ll always love you too, I have eternity to love you.  Even when  you’re old a grey I’ll adore you.” Bruce knew his words were the truest he’d spoken, up until this moment at least, nothing could make him stop loving Zena. At least nothing he could think of. She was his and he was hers and that’s just how he wanted it. The two stood in their embrace for several more moments before FRIDAY patched though a message from tony.

 

 

 

“Hey, if you two love birds are done. I’d like you two to get up here. There’s something you gotta look at. It’s awesome!” Bruce chuckled softly and took zena’s hand firmly in his own. Then together the two left the lab to see what was so amazing that they just had to see it.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
